Garden Talk

A few words about the author:  Louise Breidel is a past Chair of the Master Gardeners Dakota County and has staffed Q&A booths at the State Fair and nurseries, led classes for community groups and assisted in U of M Regional Trials of shrub roses which released ‘Sven,’ ‘Ole’ and ‘Lena’.

Color is one of the primary elements of design, but how it is are incorporated in the garden design plays a huge part in determining the garden’s beauty and impact.

Before getting in the dirt, make a plan and put it down on paper or on the computer. Why have a plan?

• plants bloom at different times during the season
• leaf colors may change
• plant size will change (some will continue to grow, others may be short lived and die back to the ground during the season)
• plants have different color flowers

Include all of these details on your plan.  You may need multiple versions of your plan to show the different growth stages of your garden. Whether a plan is followed or not is the difference between a Blah garden and an Ahhhhh garden.

Color – “All colors are the friends of their neighbors and the lovers of their opposites.” – Marc Chagall

I look at several color schemes when making my plant list.

• A BOLD scheme would use three colors bordering each other on the color wheel, like green, yellow, yellow-orange.
• A BOLDER scheme would be four colors, three directly across the wheel from one, like red, blue-green, green, and green-yellow.
• The BOLDEST scheme is hot and cool opposites like orange and blue, yellow and purple.  Use them sparingly.

For a detailed account of working with color go to http://www.sustland.umn.edu/design/colortechniques.html

Need Ideas? 

• Take your camera and notebook to parks, public and private gardens and nurseries
• Check out major seed company websites
• Look at the following publications for plant names:
  • Growing Perennials in Cold Climates by Mike Heger, Debbie Lonnee and John Whitman
  • From Iowa State University Extension:  Annuals PM 199, Perennials for Sun PM1914,
  • Perennials for Shade PM1913  Cost Approx  $5 ea. plus S&H
  • From Michigan State University: Growing and Using Annuals and Bulbs MSU#399 Cost $2 plus S&H

Colors Vary and Change

• Sunlight, cold, rain, light levels bring alterations to colors
• Colors fade with time
• Too many colors create a restless feeling
• True blue is not as abundant as pinks, yellows and reds, but it looks good with almost any other color
• Red has been shown to attract hummingbirds

How Light Affects Color

• Overcast intensifies pastels
• Bright light makes pastels fade
• Pastels lighten up shadows whereas dark colors are gloomy in the shade
• Hot colors are brilliant in full sun
• Yellow and orange seem closer than they are and are easy to see
• Blue and lavender seem farther away than they are and are not easily seen from a distance
• Use pastels and hot colors in gardens seen from afar or in shaded areas
• White or variegated foliage brightens a shaded area

How Neighboring Colors Affect Each Other

Neighboring colors are not only in flowers but in house siding, shutter color, flowering trees or shrubs, foliage of trees and shrubs, in walkways of brick, wood, in seating, statuary, ornamentation and mulch.  TIP:  If needed, separate colors by using white or pastels or foliage with gray or silver leaves.

 Color – Comes From More Than Flowers

• Foliage contributes to color
  • Coral bells have foliage available in just about any shade
  • Perilla, coleus and caladiums have multicolored leaves as bright as many flowers
  • Look for the many shades of green
  • A new weigela has burgundy foliage that looks like it has been polished and bears pink funnel-shaped flowers
  • Another weigela has leaves of yellow and green edged with pink, pink flowers and attracts hummingbirds.
  • Berries or fruits provide color – Crab apple fruit and rose hips provide color and food for some birds
  • Stems and bark provide color as well as texture
  • Shrubs such as viburnum, berberus, pyracantha and blueberries bring color through leaves and berries. A new bittersweet vine that no longer needs male and female planted together has extraordinary production of orange to red fruit.

For additional reference material go to http://www.extension.umn.edu/garden

Look for Part 2 of From Blah!! To Ahhhhh  for tips on using texture to create an interesting garden display.   Part 2 will be published in the next 10 days.

The mission of the Master Gardener program is to teach others in the community about horticulture.  In Dakota County, there are more than 130 active Master Gardeners who volunteer several thousand hours per year.

Visit the Master Gardeners of Dakota County website for additional gardening tips, information on our Research and Display Garden, the Junior Master Gardener Program, herb recipes as well as upcoming events and classes.  http://blog.lib.umn.edu/mgweb/dakota/

University of Minnesota Extension shall provide equal access to and opportunity in its programs, facilities, and employment without regard to race, color, creed, religion, national origin, gender, age, marital status, disability, public assistance status, veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity, or gender expression.  In accordance with the Americans with Disabilities Act, this publication/material is available in alternative formats upon direct request to (651) 480-7700.

April is one of the most important months for gardening because it is the time to reflect on what happened in your garden last year that you liked and what you want to change.  It is planning time!  Planning includes looking at your space and deciding what needs to be done immediately.  If you are uncertain about the plant nutrition available in your soil, the planning phase should include a soil test to help you determine how to improve your soil.  Contact the University of Minnesota Soil Testing Laboratory at http://soiltest.cfans.umn.edu/ or phone 612-625-3101 for complete instructions on how to bring in a sample of your soil for tested.

What does your soil look like?  Does it drain well?  Are you satisfied with how your plants grow?  If not, you should consider adding compost to improve your soil.  Compost improves soil structure and water-holding capacity.  Compost enhances the ability of soil to release nutrients to plants.  The amount you add and mix into your soil depends on current conditions, but one to two inches is a common amount.  You need 300 pounds of compost to cover a soil area of 100 square feet with one inch of compost.  Compost can also be added around the plants a month or two after plants have been established.  Also, remember that all compost is not equal.  When buying compost, look for dark-colored compost that does not have recognizable original forms such as leaves or sticks in it.  The compost should have an earthy scent.  If the compost is from animal manures, verify the manure is aged at least six month for health reasons. For more in-depth information on compost go to the following Cornell University website: www.gardening.cornell.edu/factsheets/orgmatter/index.html

Before you plant, it is good to have a diagram or plan of your garden(s) that includes the dimensions. Each plant has its own space needs. Space each plant according to its mature size to avoid crowding either flowers or vegetables.  Crowding makes the plants compete for nutrients in the soil.   Determine any changes in your sunny and shady areas.  Have these areas changed because of tree and or bush growth?  Sun-loving plants require at least six hours of sun to develop well.  Planning now with size and needs of plants in mind will help you have a successful gardening season.

April is a great month to start many seeds indoors under fluorescent lights.  Peppers and eggplants need to start in late March or early April, and tomatoes can be seeded around April 15.  Master Gardeners plant two seeds per seed container in the greenhouse and thin to one later, and they use commercial seed-starting mixtures.  You can create your own as well, but do not use outdoor garden soil for indoor seeding.  For in-depth information on indoor seed starting and plants that can be started indoors, go the University of Minnesota article titled “Starting Seeds Indoors” www.extension.umn.edu/distribution/horticulture/M1245.html

After you have prepared the soil in your garden for planting, you can start planting crops such as leaf lettuce, chard, carrots, onions, peas, potatoes, and radishes in April. Planting dates can be earlier or later than the middle of the month by two to three weeks depending on the weather conditions and soil conditions. Raised beds will warm up two to three weeks earlier than beds in the ground. Soil is ready for planting when it crumbles in your hands. For specific steps and a list of crops that can be planted in April, consult the University of Minnesota article by Vincent Fritz titled “Planting the Vegetable Garden” at: www.extension.umn.edu/distribution/horticulture/DG1422.html

Planning and preparation can make all the difference for the success of your garden.  Plants have different needs.  We have to respect them and encourage healthy growth by considering the sunlight, soil type, spacing, and water each variety requires.

Now that you have started thinking about the 2012 garden season, we hope you will join the Master Gardeners of Dakota County for our annual Spring Plant Sale that will be held on Saturday, May 12, 9:00 – 12:00.  Location is UMORE Park, County Road 46, 1605 West 160^th Street, Rosemount, MN.  Come and check out sun and shade perennials, shrubs, trees, fruit plants, herbs, custom made tomato cages, organic compost, and much more!

Janice Gestner, Master Gardener of Dakota County

The mission of the Master Gardener program is to teach others in the community about horticulture.  In Dakota County, there are more than 130 active Master Gardeners who volunteer several thousand hours per year.

Visit the Master Gardeners of Dakota County website for additional gardening tips, information on our Research and Display Garden, the Junior Master Gardener Program, herb recipes as well as upcoming events and classes.  http://blog.lib.umn.edu/mgweb/dakota/

University of Minnesota Extension shall provide equal access to and opportunity in its programs, facilities, and employment without regard to race, color, creed, religion, national origin, gender, age, marital status, disability, public assistance status, veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity, or gender expression.  In accordance with the Americans with Disabilities Act, this publication/material is available in alternative formats upon direct request to (651) 480-7700.